Automatic lock slider for slide fasteners



Nov; 24, 1959 1'. E. HAwKINs AUTOMATIC LOCK SLIDER FOR SLIDE FASTENERS Filed Nov. 12, 1957 w :ulllu INV ENTOR.

AUTOMATIC LOCK SLIDER FOR SLIDE FASTENERS Thane E. Hawkins, Meadville, Pa., assignor to Talon, Inc., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application November 12, 1.957, Serial No. 695,914

V4 claims. (ci. zat-205.14)

` This invention relates to slide fasteners, and more particularly to an improved automatic lock slider therefor.

It is one of the objects of the present invention to provide an improved 'automatic or self locking slider for slide fasteners consisting of a minimum number of parts which can be conveniently assembled thereby reducing Vthe manufacturing cost to a minimum. i

2,913,796 Patentedl Nov. 24, 195,9V

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2 t arranged on this free end of the locking member 13"pref erably a pair Aof locking projections 17 which are disposed in a pair of apertures 18 arranged to either side of the lug and which are adapted to extend into the slider channel 8.

There is arranged in the space 12 between the lugs 9 and 10, a substantially U-shaped leaf-like spring member It is another object of the invention to provide an improved automatic lock Vslider which embodies such features of construction as to increase materially the ease of operation in its movement to open and close the fastener and at the same time, effectivelylock the slider in a desired position along the fastener.

Various other objects and advantages of this invention Vwill be more apparent in the course of the following specification, and will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims. i

In the accompanying drawings, there is shown for the purpose of illustration, an embodiment which my invention may assume in practice.

In these drawings: Y

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary Vplan view of a slide fastener With the improved slider of my invention incorporated therewith, i v

Fig. 2 is a side view of the improved lock slider of my invention,

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1,

showing the locking member in its normal or locked position,

Fig. 4 is a sectional view similar `to Fig. 3 showing the locking member in its unlocked position, and

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, there is shown in Fig. 1 a conventional type slide fastener comprising a series of spaced-apart interlocking fastener elements 2 attached to opposed beaded edges of Stringer tapes 3. There is arranged on the fastener elements, the slider, generallydesignated at 4 of the present invention for longitudinal movement therealong for engaging and disengaging the fastener elements in a manner well known to those skilled in the art. Such a slider consists generally of a body member having spaced-apart upper vand lower wings 5 and 6, respectively, connected at the top end thereof by a neck portion 7 so as to provide substantially a Y-shaped channel 8 within the slider body.

According to the present` invention, there is arranged on the outer side of the upper wing 5, a pair of spacedapart outwardly extending lugs 9 and 10 with one positioned at either end of the slider body centrally thereof so as to provide a space 12 therebetween. There is provided an elongated locking member 13 which extends between the lugs 9 and 10 and straddles and bridges the same. One end of this locking member 13 is pivotally attached to the lug 9, as at 14, and the opposite free end thereof is movably connected to the other lug 10 preferably by means of a pin 15 which is disposed in a slotted aperture 16 in this lug so as to permit free movement of the free end of the locking member. There is also 19 having the apex portion 20 thereof disposed preferably in a recess 21 arranged in the outerside of the wing 5 centrally thereof between the lugs 9 and 10. One end of this spring member 19 is securely attached to the upper lug 9, as at 22, and the otherend of this spring member is securely attached to the inner side of the locking member 13, as at 23.

There is provided an elongated pull member` 24 having a trunnion portion 25 which is disposed in the spacelZ between the inner side of the locking member 13 and the spring member 19. i

Having described the construction of the improved slider 'of my invention, it functions in the following manner.`

When it is desired to disengage the fastener elements 2 to open the fastener, the pull member 24 is grasped and a pulling force applied thereto in a direction to open the fastener. The pull member will then assume the position substantially as shown in full lines of Fig. 4 of the drawings. .In such position itwill be seen that-the trunnion portion 25 of the pull member bears against the under side of the locking member 13 and the outer side of the spring member 19 so as to provide a wedging or camming action. A continued pulling force on the pull member will then move the free end of the locking member 13 away from the upper wing about the pivotal connection 14 and in so doing, the locking projections 17 will be moved out of the slider channel 8 thereby permitting the fastener elements 2 to pass through the slider channel and the slider to move therealong. It will be noted `that the trunnion portion 25 of the pull member not only acts on the locking member 13 to moveit outwardly but also abuts the spring member `19 which: in turn acts on the free end of the locking member due to its attachment thereto at 23 to aid in moving the locking member outwardly to its unlocked position.

When the slider is moved in the opposite direction to engage the fastener elements and to close the fastener, the pull member 24 is grasped, as before, and movedin the opposite direction and will assume a position substantially as shown in the broken lines of Fig. 4. As before, in such position, the trunnion portion 25 will bear against the under side of the locking member 13 and the outer side of the spring member 19 so as to provide again a wedging or camming action therebetween. Upon continued pulling of the pull member, it will be seen that the locking member is moved about its pivotal connection 14 and that spring member 19 will tend to move the free end of the locking member outwardly due to the fact that the apex portion 20 of the spring member acts as a fulcrum to force the lower end of the spring member at 23 outwardly which in turn tends to move the free end of the locking member outwardly.

As a result of my invention, it will be seen that there is provided an improved automatic lock slider for slide fasteners which is simple and inexpensive in its construction and, at the same time, efficient and effective in its use. It will be seen that due to the construction thereof, the locking member 13 can be moved to its unlocked posit-ion with the least amount of effort thereby permitting the slider to move freely along the fastener elements to engage or disengage the same.

While I have shown and described an embodiment which my invention may assume in practice, it will be understood that this embodiment is merely for the purpose of illustration and description, and that other forms may be devised within the scope of my invention as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In' a lock slider for slide fasteners, a channeled slider body with a pair of spaced-apart wings connected at one end thereof by a neck portion, a pair of spaced-apart lugs arranged on one of said wings centrally thereof, a longitudinally extending locking member'having one end thereof pivotally' connected to' one of said lugs and a locking projection arranged on the opposite free end thereof which is adapted t'o extend into the channel of said slider, a' relatively thin independent leaf-like spring member arranged on said wing in under said locking member, one end of said spring member being attached to the lug to which said locking member is pivotally attached, the opposite end of said spring member being attached to said locking member at the free end thereof, the central portionV of said spring memberY bearing against the outer side of said wing at a point between said lugs so as to provide a fulcrum therefor, and a pull member having a trunnion portion disposed between said locking member and said `spring member which is adapted to provide a camming action therebetween when the pull member is manipulated to actuate the slider.

2. In alock slider for slide fasteners, a channeled slider body with a pair of spaced-apart wings connected at one end thereof by a neck portion, a pair of spaced-apart lugs arranged on one of said wings centrally thereof, a longitudinally extending locking member having one end thereof pivotally connected to one of said lugs and a locking projection arranged on the opposite free end thereof which is adapted to extend into the channel of said slider, a.' substantially U-shaped leaf-like spring member arranged on said Wing in under said locking member, one end of said spring member being attached to the lug to which said locking member is pivotally attached, the opposite end of said spring member being attached to said locking member at the free end thereof, the apex portion of said spring member being seated in a recess in the outer side of said wing at a point centrally between said lugs, and a pull member having a trunnion portion which is disposed between said locking member and said spring member.

3. In a lock slider for slide fasteners, a channeled slider body with a pair of spaced-apart wings connected at one end thereof by a neck portion, a pair of spaced-apart lugs arranged on one of said wings centrally thereof, a longitudinally extending locking member having one end thereof pivotally connected to one of said lugs and the opposite free end being movably connected to the other of said lugs, a locking projection arranged on said free end which is adapted to extend into the channel of said slider, a substantially U-shaped relatively thin independent leaflike spring member arranged on said wing in under said locking member, one end of said spring member being attached to the lug to which said locking member is pivotally attached, the opposite end of said spring member being attached to said locking member at the free end thereof, the apex portion Aof said spring member bearing against the outer side of said wing at a point centrally between said lugs so as to provide a fulcrum therefor, and a pull member having a trunnion portion disposed between said locking member and said spring member which is adapted to provide a camming action therebetween when the pull member is manipulated to actuate the slider. 4. In a lock slider for slide fasteners, a channeled slider body with a pair of spaced-apart wings connected at one end thereof by a neck portion, a pair of spacedapart lugs arranged on one of said wings centrally thereof, a longitudinally extending locking member having one end thereof pivotally connected to one of said lugs and the opposite free end being movably connected to the other of said lugs, a locking projection arranged on the free end of said locking member which is adapted to eX- tend int'o the channel of said slider, a substantially U- shaped, leaf-like spring member arranged on said wing in under said locking member, one end of said spring member being attached to the lug to which said locking member is 'pivotally attached, the opposite end of said spring member being attached to said locking member at the free end thereof, the apex portion of said spring member being seated in a recess in the outer side of said wing at a point centrally between said lugs, and a pull member having a trunnion portion which is disposed between s'aid locking member and said spring member.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,296,825 Cal'lle Sept. 29, 1942 2,683,911 Backer .lllly 20, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 503,339 Great Britain Apr. 4. 1939 

